As news reached us this morning that Apple could launch itsnext iPhonein mainland Chinaon Thursday, September 25, and given a purported 4.7-inch front panelleaked in a videowhich suggests the possibility of one-handed use, we now have a better idea of when the device could launch and how it might feel in one’s hand.
There has certainly been no shortage of leaked parts thus far, such as thesupposed display covers,backplates,LCD parts,manufacturing molds, etc.
The problem with these leaks based on rumors is their crudeness that don’t do Apple’s industrial design and precision manufacturing a justice. Enter Ukrainian designer Mark Pelin, who has created high-resolution renders that offer arguably the best indication yet of what a finalized design of the iPhone 6 in Space Gray might look like…
The images (via9to5Mac) offer an accurate depiction of Apple’s upcoming handset. Of course, take them with a grain of salt as Pelin was working from rumors and leaks that may not be necessarily authentic.
At any rate, I’m certainly glad someone has taken all the leaks and rumors to create such an elaborate set of renderings depicting what the device might look like.
The renderings reflect key highlights that get commonly repeated in rumor-mill reporting, such as the rounded edges rather than flat ones, a relocated power button and a seamless all-aluminum rear shell.
The cover glass appears to be rounded at the edges to lay it flush with the rounded corners, akin to Nokia’s Lumia design. And if you ask me, those black antenna breaks on the back actually look super nice.
Whenever we post purported parts and dummy units, our commenters usually complain about low-quality materials and poor build quality. Yet, it’s easy to forget that most of these 3D-printed dummies are just a rough approximation of the device, based on the rumor-mill reporting.
Japanese business paperNikkei cautionedthat the thick white stripes (antenna cut-outs) at the top and bottom of the handset seen on mockups will be replaced with a highly polished glass plates said to blend in with the metal back.
Apple is of course expected to unveil its cards as to next-generation iPhones in September. It’s unclear whether both a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a larger, phablet-class 5.5-inch device would get announced at the same time similar to last year’s double-iPhone 5s/5c launch.
Last we heard, Apple’s suppliers have successfully tackled manufacturing issues related to 5.5-inch panels and ultra-thin batteries, giving hope that the 5.5-inch variant could launch alongside its 4.7-inch counterpart.
What do you think?
Will the iPhone 6 look anything like these renders?
